Dinner & a Séance Part 2

A quiet room, a held breath—and then a voice that isn’t quite Mary’s. What begins as a message for a granddaughter turns into a reckoning about shame, stolen money, and the cost of keeping family history locked away. The word protection lands like a warning shot, and moments later, the chaos stops not with shouting, but with an unexpected hero.

After the dust settles, we step outside under the porch light to talk with investigator and tour host Neal Gibbons of Graveside Paranormal. Neil shares how he prepares the Roff House before anyone presses record: walking the space, listening to the house, and setting boundaries before gear ever comes out. He offers candid notes about what he did and didn’t feel during a recent seance, the recurring girl’s voice that greets visitors, and a faucet incident the camera didn’t catch that still saved the night. We dig into why some sites echo with intelligent responses while others behave like thoughtforms, and how pattern-based research helps map a place without forcing a single theory onto every haunt.

If you’re drawn to the Watseka Wonder, possession lore, and the mechanics of safer spirit communication, this chapter blends story, method, and lived experience. You’ll hear about emotional triggers, the ethics of opening and closing a session, and why a simple object in a calm hand can shift an entire encounter. 

To find a ghost tour or experience with Neal & Graveside Paranormal, visit  https://gravesideparanormal.com/

Keep an eye out for the movie The Seance on the following Facebook pages:

Neal Gibbons:

https://www.facebook.com/neal.gibbons.50/

Larry Eisslee III with Small Town Productions:

https://www.facebook.com/GHLarryEissler/

Subscribe, share with a friend who loves Midwest hauntings, and leave a review to help more listeners find Small Town Whispers. What part stayed with you—the confession, the chaos, or the way it ended?

Chapters

• 0:00 Personal Stakes In Watseka
• 2:00 The Grandmother’s Urgent Message
• 5:55 Family Secrets Exposed
• 10:05 A Warning About Protection
• 12:20 A Familiar Voice
• 16:40 Chaos, Flying Chairs, And Fire
• 19:20 An Unexpected Hero Ends The Fury
• 21:30 Tease Of Aftermath
• 22:15 Porchlight Whispers With Neal Gibbons
• 24:40 Preparing A Haunted Space

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:11

Welcome to Small Town Whispers, where history, folklore, and the paranormal collide. I'm Bethany Borden, and I lived in Watseeka, Illinois from 1988 to 1999. For over a decade, I walked the same streets, saw the same houses, and even had friends connected to the story we're about to dive into. This isn't just history for me. It's personal. Last week, we left you at the table. The air had changed, and the sound of Mary's voice was no longer entirely her own. One minute, she was relaying quiet messages to those gathered, and the next, something shifted. Suddenly, the mayor's wife's grandmother entered the room through Mary, her presence urgent, insistent, and unable to wait another second. Now, we return to that moment. But before we go back, I want to thank you for being here and remind you that your support is what keeps these small town whispers echoing. If you haven't already, make sure you're subscribed so you never miss an episode. And if you're feeling especially compelled, leaving a review helps others find us. Listener support truly helps keep this story alive. Whether it's a few dollars or simply sharing the show, it makes all the difference. Now, take a breath. Settle in. And let's return back to the book What'sika on page 86. Because now the message that couldn't wait is finally ready to be heard.

Speaker 2: 3:03

The word is Punxutawney! No wonder this poor child didn't understand it, but you understand it, Martha. Your parents were born there, and you know who I am.

Speaker 1: 3:13

Mrs. Secrest's eyes were wide. She looked at her husband. Martha, you know who I am. The mayor's wife's voice was almost inaudible. Yes, Grandma. I know.

Speaker 2: 3:26

I don't know why you didn't speak up when I came in. You know how I hate scenes, and this little girl is in no physical condition for scenes. I was trying to tell you that your uncles are here with me. I can't find David. I can't find him anywhere. Do you know where your father is?

Speaker 1: 3:45

Father is not dead, grandmother, Mrs. Secrest said. He's still alive. That's why you can't find him.

Speaker 2: 3:53

Still alive? But God in heaven, he must be very old by now. He'll be ninety two his next birthday. Is he with you? No. Then where is he?

Speaker 1: 4:07

Mrs. Secrest looked at her husband again. This time he gave her no signals. He is in the insane asylum in Harrisburg, grandmother. He has been there for many years. She was glad it was so dark in the room because her face was burning with shame. Her father's insanity had been a well guarded family secret. Now her friends and everyone who had voted for Conrad would know that the mayor's wife had a father who was in an asylum. He's being well taken care of, the mayor said to Mary. He gets the best. We see to that. Mary's face turned quickly toward him.

Speaker 2: 4:46

Now he gets the best, but when you had anything to do with it, you got the best. And you took it.

Speaker 1: 4:53

Asa sat in shocked silence. That this should be going on in his home, and to one of the most respected men in Watseka was unthinkable. Yet he didn't dare interrupt. He didn't dare do anything to startle Mary. I don't know what you mean, grandmother, said Mrs. Secrest. If you really are my grandmother, she added.

Speaker 2: 5:16

Oh, I'm your grandmother. There are times when I wish I weren't. What I'm talking about is the money in the bean pot. The money you and your husband stole from me when you ran off and got married.

Speaker 1: 5:31

Asa struggled to keep silent. We didn't steal the money, the mayor said angrily. You promised it to us, and then you said we couldn't have it. I had the wedding all planned, grandmother. We had to have the money. Ha ha. Yes, you got married. And none too soon either. The old lady laughed under her breath. Really, Reverend Dille, said Asa aloud, I must protest that this is going too far. I want you to end this immediately. Mary looked at her father, her eyes closed and her lips pressed tightly together.

Speaker 3: 6:06

You listen, young man. I have a few things to say to this granddaughter of mine, and I don't cotton to interruptions. Mary, Anne exclaimed loudly. My name is not Mary. Never did like that name. Too common. Every Tom Dick and Harry called their children Mary. Martha honey, I did not come all this distance to argue with you. I came to tell you that I really don't care about the money anymore. Over here I learned that there are more important things to think about. I came because I was concerned about David. I couldn't find him. Now I know why.

Speaker 1: 6:46

Grandmother, said Mrs. Secrest, I'm sorry about the money. I really am. She began to cry. She and her husband had avoided her grandmother after the wedding and moved away as soon as they could. She never saw the woman again, and had only been back to Punxutawney once to sign the papers that committed her father to the asylum. The money they got from his farm helped them get settled in Watseka. Martha, her husband tried to calm her. Let her be, Mr. Secrest, the minister said. She'll be all right. Mary's voice was softer now.

Speaker 2: 7:19

Well, I'm going now. I'm sorry I upset you, Martha. You two, Conrad. But I wanted to find out about David. Mrs. Secrest tried to speak, but the tears lodged in her throat. And Martha, I love you. I always did love you more than the rest. You know that, don't you, child? Mrs. Secrest nodded. That's why it hurt so when you did what you did, but I forgive you. And now you can forgive yourself. Does that make you feel any better? That you can forgive yourself?

Speaker 1: 7:56

Mrs. Secrest managed to say yes through the tears. Good.

Speaker 2: 8:02

Mary looked around the room. Well, I'm going now. No need wearing out this poor child. She's remarkably easy to come through. But there should be more of a guard. More protection. What do you mean by protection? The minister asked. Just protection. I can't put it into any other word. Protection. I don't mean to tell you your business, sir, but if I were you, I wouldn't let her do this anymore until there is adequate protection.

Speaker 1: 8:35

Thank you, said the minister. I'll remember that. And so will I, spoke up Asa.

Speaker 2: 8:42

Well, goodbye, Martha. And Conrad. I shall pray for you. I love you both.

Speaker 1: 8:53

Mary's head flopped down, her chin pressing against her neck, her shoulders hunched over, her hands limp in the grip of Mr. Smith and the Reverend Dille. Everyone took a deep breath. The others were looking at the floor or down at their laps, not wanting to look at either the mayor or his wife. Nervie kept her eyes on Mary's face. Because Nervie was the only one looking at Mary's face, she was the first one to scream. Mary sat with her face tilted toward the ceiling. Her mouth was open, and her tongue licked her lips. The veins in her neck stood out, even in the darkness, and seemed to be pulsating more than normal. Mary jerked her hands and freed them from the circle. She ran her hands through her hair and scratched her scalp as if it were itching. Asa unclasped his hands and started toward her. The Reverend Dille motioned him back to his seat. Ann couldn't look. Her hands covered her face. She knew what was coming. She had seen it happen before.

Speaker 3: 10:00

Isn't this lovely? Look at all you people come to see me. Ain't this a real honor though? What did you come for this time?

Speaker 1: 10:09

Her voice was harsh, almost guttural, and there was an accent with it, an accent that was difficult to place. The circle of hands broken, the others had instinctively pushed back their chairs.

Speaker 3: 10:22

Well, what is it this time? Another dead cow? A barn on fire?

Speaker 1: 10:28

Mary, I think it's time we went to bed, said Ann.

Speaker 3: 10:33

Did one of your dogs produce a litter of kittens? Well, what time is it? No one said a word. Well, speak up. I haven't got all day. To what do I owe this honor?

Speaker 1: 10:46

Mary, I think your mother is right. It is past your bedtime.

Speaker 3: 10:50

Past my bedtime? You want to put me in a nice soft bed? Ha! That's certainly different. Does the bed have a snake in it? Or maybe a scorpion?

Speaker 1: 11:02

The Reverend Dille was frightened, yet fascinated. He didn't want what was happening to happen, yet now that it had, he was pleased. He tried to take command of the situation. What is your name? he asked, and touched Mary on the shoulder. She pulled back and knocked his hand away. What kind of question is that? What is your name?

Speaker 3: 11:23

You know damn well what my name is.

Speaker 1: 11:26

She looked around the room at the broken circle of chairs. The mayor had managed to get over to his wife's side, and Asa stood with his arm around Anne.

Speaker 3: 11:35

Funny, you know who I am, and yet you ask me my name. I don't know who you are, and I haven't asked your names.

Speaker 1: 11:42

Nervi tried to help.

Speaker 3: 11:44

My name is Minerva and I don't care what any of your names are. I just want you to tell me what you want this time, and then get out. Get out of my house and off my property.

Speaker 1: 11:58

She stood up and took a few steps. The others backed away. Why should we want anything? The Reverend asked, trying to keep his investigation going.

Speaker 3: 12:07

What else would you be doing here? Every time something happens in the village, you come running here, accusing me of doing it. Well, what happened this time? What am I supposed to have done now?

Speaker 1: 12:20

Nothing, he said. Nothing. Then get out. She walked toward him, and he backed away slightly. He didn't dare show anyone that he was losing control. We are your friends, he said weakly.

Speaker 3: 12:34

Oh yes, friends. I've lots of friends in this village I have. Come here all the time for coffee and cakes and candies.

Speaker 1: 12:44

Who are you? he asked again. Maybe we have come to the wrong house.

Speaker 3: 12:48

I'm Katrina Hogan and you know it. And you haven't come to the wrong house. You know exactly where you are and what you are here for. And I want to know what is being blamed on me now. I did not make that baby sickly the last time, but you wouldn't believe it.

Speaker 1: 13:06

She glared at them all. They moved backward a few more steps. None of you would believe it.

Speaker 3: 13:12

Now get out of my house.

Speaker 1: 13:14

We want to help you, Katrina, said Nervie. We love you. Yes, we love you, Ann added. Please go away and give us back our Mary. Please Love? Mary walked over to Ann and looked at her, her eyes still closed.

Speaker 3: 13:30

That's a strange word coming from the likes of you folks. I've never seen any love. Not around here. All I've ever seen is hatred and fear. You hate me and you fear me and you blame me for things and I don't know why. You don't even let me go to church on Sunday.

Speaker 1: 13:48

She went near Mrs. Secrest, who was staring at her with horror.

Speaker 3: 13:52

They don't even let me into the church. Can you believe that?

Speaker 1: 13:57

She reached out and touched a ribbon in Mrs. Seacrest's hair.

Speaker 3: 14:00

You look like a nice lady. Can you believe they won't let me in church?

Speaker 1: 14:05

Mrs. Secrest started to say something, but Mary walked away. She looked at Mr. Hogle and then at Editor Smith.

Speaker 3: 14:13

I don't know you. I don't know you and yet you come here to persecute me. Why can't you leave me alone? I'm an old woman. I have no husband, no children. I have done nothing to you.

Speaker 1: 14:26

She crossed her arms and hugged her shoulders as if she was cold.

Speaker 3: 14:31

Why can't you leave me alone?

Speaker 1: 14:35

She began to cry. It wasn't Mary's voice, but they were Mary's tears, and they ran down Mary's cheeks to be absorbed in the cloth of Mary's dress. She stood like that for almost a minute until Anne got up enough courage to put her arms around her daughter. Come on, she said quietly. Come on. It's time to rest. Suddenly Mary opened her arms and the force threw Anne onto the floor. The wooden chairs of the circle crashed as she hit them.

Speaker 3: 15:08

Don't touch me! Stay away from me. This is my house. Why don't you all get out of here?

Speaker 1: 15:16

Nervie helped Ann to her feet as the mayor and his wife ran toward the parlor doors. Mr. Hogle and Mr. Marsh were right behind them. Get out! The voice screamed as Mary looked around with blind eyes to find something to throw at the intruders. The metronome was snatched from the floor and hurled with force against the wall. It barely missed Mr. Hogle's head. The table behind where she had been sitting had a cut glass vase with flowers. She threw it at the fleeing guests, and it smashed against the wall just as the mayor found the handles and slid open the parlor doors. You leave me alone. The voice shouted at Editor Smith as he stood staring at her. She picked up one of the chairs and raised it over her head. He stepped aside just in time as it came crashing inches away from him. Do something, Reverend Dille! Ann screamed, do something before Mary kills someone. I don't know what to do, he confessed. I can't control her any longer. Asa was leading Ann toward the door, and Editor Smith was protecting Nervie with his own body as another chair came sailing through the air and smashed against the wall. All four of them made it through the door before the next chair shattered after them. Now you, said Mary to Reverend Dille.

Speaker 3: 16:39

You get out of here too.

Speaker 1: 16:41

Eyes still closed, she glanced around and grabbed the flickering oil lantern. You came to burn me like a witch, didn't you? He shook his head. I wanted to help. You want to see me burn? You want to see us all burn? She held the lantern high above her head and pulled back her arm.

Speaker 3: 17:01

In a few seconds, his house will be in flames. Isn't that what you want?

Speaker 1: 17:07

Then will you leave me alone? Mary, you put that lamp down! A voice boomed from the doorway. Mary's arm wavered, but the lantern stayed poised for the throw. Put the lamp down, child. See what I have in my hand. Loozie walked slowly toward the girl, her eyes never leaving her face. She held a small piece of carved wood in her hand. Mary's arm wavered. Open your eyes, Loozie commanded. Open your eyes and see what I am holding. Mary's eyelids began to flutter. That's right. Open your eyes and look at this. With great effort, the girl managed to raise her eyelids. Mary blinked, trying to focus. Then she saw what Loozie was holding. She stood still and stared at the carved figure. The Reverend Dille caught the lantern as Mary fell unconscious onto the floor. Well, that's one way to end a seance. Can you even imagine? The mayor, the town newspaper editor. You're gonna have to come back next week to find out the aftermath of this. But still coming is a message from somebody who recently held a seance in the house.

Speaker 4: 18:35

Now, join me under the porch light. The place where memories meet the present and voices from the past still linger in the dark. Tonight we listen not to the pages from a book, but to the people who have felt the unexplained and found the courage to share it. Welcome to Porchlight Whispers.

Speaker 1: 19:00

Neal Gibbons is in the porchlight seat this week. For 10 years, he has owned and operated Graveside Paranormal, where he offers ghost tours and immersive experiences in the Chicagoland area. On Halloween, he even does a double dead tour where people can visit the Roff Home and the old courthouse museum in Watseka. I remember going to the courthouse on a field trip as a kid. How funny that now it's part of a ghost tour. Last year, Neal teamed up with Larry Eisler III of Small Town Productions to make The Seance, a movie documenting a seance held in the Roff Home last October. Neal, thank you for taking time to be on the podcast today. How do you prepare yourself, mentally or spiritually, before opening a space like the Roff House for communication?

Speaker 5: 19:51

Well, actually, what I do is I actually walk around the house and I take my time. I believe going into certain haunted Locations, supposedly haunted locations. You need to walk around. You gotta get a feel for the house. That's actually the first thing I always do. I don't just go into it and just start off checking out all the places with all the equipment and stuff, and I just think that the best thing to do right off the bat is just start walking around and get a feel for the house and take your time doing that.

Speaker 1: 20:22

During the most recent stance you held in the house, did you sense anything that felt connected specifically to Mary or the Roff family? Or did the energy feel like something else?

Speaker 5: 20:32

I want to be completely honest about this uh question. Did I think that I felt like any connection specifically to Mary Roff or um the uh the other girl, L urancy Vennum inside the house energy? During the seance, actually, no. Uh I did not feel anything, but there is always a girl there. We've gotten a girl who always says, Hi, how are you, and a disembodied voice. Uh, it's been more than once. So there is a girl spirit there, but when we were doing the seance, I really wasn't tapping in on Mary Roth or Laurancey Venom uh when we were there, but there were a lot of other spirits because of all the high emotion that was going on. So when you're doing a seance, uh like Diaz doing, you're you're reaching out to a lot of different spirits, and they all could be coming in at once. And you could be getting a lot of high uh emotional levels that go on.

Speaker 1: 21:27

Is there something you experienced during the seance that didn't make it into the documentary?

Speaker 5: 21:33

Yeah, there was experiences that uh did happen in the house that did not make uh the documentary in the seance, because you gotta try to stay with the storyline that you're presenting to people. So when we did the seance and we were there for the afternoon, going into the nighttime before there, we had a lot of people in there. And there was one time when one of the spirit boxes said faucet, and one of the ladies she went inside the sink, uh, inside the bathroom where the sink all of a sudden just turned on and water was flowing out of it. So it was saying something like that it was going to overflow, the sink was going to overflow. So they went in there, and sure enough, for whatever reason, the sink was stopped up. And I'm assuming the spirits that dwell within the house, they alerted this person, hey, go check the sink. And sure enough, she checked the sink, cleaned it out, and uh turned off the water.

Speaker 1: 22:23

Was there a moment in the house where anybody, particularly the skeptics, reacted in ways you didn't anticipate?

Speaker 5: 22:30

No, I don't think there was any skeptics that that came up to me that didn't anticipate anything like that. But other than that, I think it was pretty positive the whole day through. Oh, there is some one other thing though. So one of the things that did not make um the first uh seance, because we are going to be doing a seance too, is the investigation part. There was actually an investigation that was done inside the house, and there is what we believe a small little boy that's up on the up on the second floor. Uh we held a conversation with him with the Anahada Spear Porter blocks, me and Diet. So it that's something that's very interesting. That when we were started filming, we were also able to make contacts from some little boy. There's many timelines that have gone on throughout the Roff house throughout the ages, and they're all go through, they all had dramatic timelines. So they leave an impression on that house. So when you go in there, some of this still dwells inside of it. So those are some of the things.

Speaker 1: 23:27

What makes the Roff house in Watseka different from the typical haunted site?

Speaker 5: 23:32

Well, every location's different, every place has a different story, a different type of haunting that's going on. The Roff House, what takes it from there, uh what's different than some of the ones that we do with the ghost tours is take, for instance, Bachelor's Grove Cemetery. It's the most haunted cemetery in America. Uh, there is an intelligence that is going on there, but there's also a form of possession that happens on the grounds there. Uh, the difference between that and uh many other things, like take, for instance, Resurrection Mary. I believe this is what we would call a topa. It's a topa type of haunting. So each and every place from the Roff House of Bachelor's Grove to Archer Avenue where Resurrection Mary is supposed to be, everyone is different. That's the beauty of all these things. They all have some different kind of storyline to them. But every now and then you're going to come to a location, either it be a house or land, where they're very similar. That's when you do your research. Like I tell people, there's no such thing as experts, but there's good researchers who pay attention that this type of haunting was happening in here, and I'm getting the same kind of activity at this one. So maybe this one here is also an intelligent one. So it's by the research that you do by paying attention to the environment, knowing that, hey, once they start to interact the same way, well, then maybe this one is similar to this haunt. So that's how you do that. So each and every haunt is a little bit different.

Speaker 1: 24:56

Any final thoughts, Neal?

Speaker 3: 24:58

Movie the Seance was going to be coming out later on in the 2026 at uh about four film festivals. Uh, we're gonna be having them out. We'll be presenting that on our Graveside Paranormal Facebook. Uh, Larry Eissler III will also be presenting it on his Facebook. Uh, you can also go to www.gravesideparanormal.com to check out all the tours we'll be doing this upcoming 2026 year. I thank uh you for your time. You have a great day, and as always, boo.

Speaker 1: 25:30

Thank you so much, Neal. I'll make sure to link everything in the show notes. Until next time.

Speaker 3: 25:39

That was this week's edition of Porchlight Whispers. Do you have an experience of your own to tell? We want to hear your stories. Share your experience and let your small town whispers become part of ours.

Speaker 1: 25:56

And with that, the porchlight dims, but the whispers stay with us. Join us again next time when another voice steps into the light.